Holy Blade and Cutting Chain
by BladeOfThePoet
Summary: After one of Cpt. Kurotsuchi's failed experiments, a massive wave of reiatsu flowed into the human world. It's power caused the most massive Garganta ever seen to open up. What happens when it sucks our favorite midget and strawberry, along with a young captain and his well-endowed lieutenant, and sends them to Hyrule! BleachXSkyward Sword x-over. Ichiruki.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, Hello! It's-a me again! This time, I bring a challenge presented to me by Lord Lycaon (Has really good stories!) The challenge consists on a Skyward Sword/Bleach x-over. Now, without further ado, let us begin!**

**12****th**** Division Headquarters, Captain's personal lab**

Inside the 12th division barracks, a certain (insane) Captain was working on a new project. When he watched the video showing Kurosaki's prowess with his hollow powers, he began researching how to force Hollowification.

"Hehehe, this is it! I have finally discovered it!" Mayuri Kurotsuchi celebrated like the madman he is. In his hands was a small black orb, around the size of his fist, which was glowing with an ominous energy. He placed the orb in a Gigai with a fake soul in it. If it worked, it would turn the soul into a hollow. To the captain's delight, the orb began to crack with energy and tangle the Gigai with black tendrils. "I am such a genius!" He flattered himself once again as a bone mask began to form around the Gigai's face, and it's skin was starting to rip off, showing Hollow skin beneath. The crazed captain kept laughing like crazy, until the sound of energy stopped. "HAHAHA… huh?" The orb had stopped sending energy into the Gigai, and instead, began to absorb it. It absorbed not only the fake soul, but the gigai too. The orb began to glow a black color more ominous than one of Unohana's glares as it sucked in the poor soul and the body it was inhabiting. The Spirit Energy readers around the room began to go crazy, showing readings that were off the marks. The insane captain knew very well what was about to happen. In a desperate attempt to escape, he opened a Senkaimon with his Zanpakuto. Sadly, he was unable to cross it before the orb blew up, releasing a massive amount of Spiritual energy. It was so much it dwarfed even Zaraki Kenpachi's Reiatsu. The blast hit Kurotsuchi and liquefied him, and then the energy crossed the barrier…

… straight into Karakura.

**Karakura Town, Kurosaki Clinic**

It was a regular Saturday morning in the Kurosaki Clinic. Karin was watching a soccer game, Yuzu was cooking breakfast, Ichigo was still asleep, and Isshin…

"GOOD MORNIIIIING, ICHIGO!" Was being the idiot he always was. Ichigo simply rolled over in his bed, caused his father to land on the mattress, and sent him flying to the closet door with a kick.

"Stop doing that shit, old man!" Ichigo yelled at his father, who was in the floor massaging his jaw.

"Ah, I have trained you well, my son!" Rukia couldn't help but stifle a giggle from her place in Ichigo's closet. She was already used to this pattern, but it didn't remove the sense of humor it had every time Isshin crashed against her door. She remembered this one time she teamed up with Ichigo, so that when Isshin crashed, she slipped some Ice cubes (From the freezer, not her own) into his back. His reaction was hilarious, especially since he had his shirt tucked into his pants. Anyway, once Ichigo had kicked Isshin out of his room (quite literally), Rukia got out of her closet.

"I swear, one of these days I'm gonna Getsuga Tenshou his ass all the way to the Seiretei and back!" Ichigo yelled out in frustration. His family either already knew of his powers or didn't even know what he was talking about, so he didn't mind yelling it out loud.

"Oh, come on, Ichigo, your father can't be that annoying…"

"HE CAN!" Karin yelled out from below. Apparently, the Kurosaki household has very thin walls and floors. Ichigo gave Rukia a 'See?' look. Before the little Shinigami could answer, her spirit phone began to ring in a tone Ichigo hadn't heard before.

"Give me a second… Moshi-moshi?" Rukia held the phone to her ear. Ichigo was tense, expecting orders to find and kill a dangerous Hollow, or that Aizen had been found… "Oh, Ohayo ni-sama! Yes, things are doing alright over here, little to none Hollow activity…" Ichigo faceplanted as she began to speak. Ever since the Sokyoku Hill incident, Byakuya had been less than trusting to leave Rukia alone with Ichigo. Most of the time he sent Renji to do the checkup, but this time he decided to call…

'_Something's up…' _Ichigo thought as he noticed Rukia's face harden. '_Ok, one out of two: Aizen was found, or Kurotsuchi did something stupid again…'_

"What do you mean, 'blew up'? What was he trying to do this time!?" Rukia said into the phone, nervous. Meanwhile, Ichigo just thought:

'_Nailed it…' _He tuned Rukia out as she spoke with her brother and quickly began to scan around his room. '_Not in the bed, or under it… not in the closet obviously… not in the bathroom… the desk!' _He extended his right hand, fist closed, so that it was parallel to the ground. Just as he did, a stuffed lion plush crashed into his arm, emitting a pained groan. "Kon, remind me again why I haven't thrown you out?"

"That's easy!" The stuffed doll said as it got off Ichigo's arm and into the floor. "Because you know nee-san wouldn't let you! Right, nee-san?" Kon said this with his trademark tears. (_A/N: How the hell does a plush doll cry? o.0) _His answer, however, was Rukia kicking him into the wall out of reflex. Just then, she hung up.

"Ok, what did the crazy scientist do this time?" Ichigo said nonchalantly. Rukia just sighed and put her hand on her face.

"Apparently, he was trying to recreate the Hogyoku…" Ichigo opened his mouth, ready to yell something, but Rukia cut him off with her hand. "Fortunately, he failed. Unfortunately, the explosion carried a massive amount of Reiryoku into Karakura. We were told to remain on guard for any increased Hollow activity or anything like that… Ichigo, are you listening to me!?" About halfway through her explanation, Ichigo had gone to the window, and was looking at the sky, fearfully. Rukia approached him and followed his line of sight and… Saw the most massive Garganta either of them had ever seen. Not only was it bigger, it was also of a different color. Instead of just black, it was glowing gold, with some black in the mix.

"Rukia… what… is that?" Ichigo asked her fearfully, especially when he saw something moving inside. Rukia just put on her glove and punched him out of his body, and then forced Kon's pill down the body's throat. Then she popped her own Gikongan, Chappy.

"Either a hallucination, or the biggest Garganta in the history of Souls. Let's go!" They both Shunpo'ed out of the house and into the sky in front of the hole. They sensed the Reiatsus of Orihime, Uryu, and Chad as they approached the massive hole in the sky. They also felt the reiatsus of Toushiro and Matsumoto getting close, fast.

"KUROSAKI!'' The voice of the young Captain rang out from behind them. As usual, he was in his Captain's Haori, with his Zanpakuto on his back, with his faithful (if lazy) Lieutenant beside him, her Lieutenant Insignia on her right shoulder, over her Shinigami uniform. "What the hell is going on here!?"

"I'll tell you when I know, Toushiro!" The Captain was about to complaint to Ichigo about using his first name, when a roar- Definitely not human, animal, and not likely hollow – Came out of the gaping hole. Before anyone could react, a black and green tornado formed in the hole and began to suck the Shinigami, along with some other nearby objects, into it. Last thing Ichigo saw before being knocked out was a piece of concrete hitting Rukia in the head…

**Meanwhile, in Skyloft**

"_Ok, Link… you can do this… yeah, all you have to do, is go down to a place no one has ever explored before and exists only in myths, find Zelda, and defeat a giant being of pure evil before he destroys the world… yeah, no pressure…" _A young, green clad man thought as he flew on the back of a big, crimson bird. Ever since his best friend was kidnapped, everything he knew had been put on doubt. Before, if anyone had told him of a sword with a blue spirit within, he would've thrown that person off Skyloft for insanity. Now, he was flying with said sword on his back, and was about to jump into a giant green beam of light… '_OH, SWEET HYLLA, WHAT DID I GET MYSELF INTO!?' _He thought. The spirit of the sword, Fi, popped out at that moment.

~_** Master, this is where the opening in the cloud barrier was formed. I recommend jumping now. ~**_ Was all she said before jumping back into the sword. Before jumping, Link had one thought.

"_If I die, I'd just like to say: Groose, you're an asshole!" _Back in Skyloft, a certain bully felt a horrible chill down his spine. Link jumped off his Loftwing, using all of his will not to scream. (_A/N: How would you feel if you were told to jump into somewhere you've always been told there's absolutely nothing?) _Strangely enough, instead of the big, black void he was expecting, he saw trees. And a lot of them. He saw small birds flying around, as well as a massive tree in the distance. He was so impressed by what he saw, he almost didn't notice an important detail in the scenery: The fast approaching floor. The minute he did, however, he took out his Sailing Cloth, given to him by Zelda. The cloth was of really good quality, as it slowed down his fall to the point he barely made any sound as he landed. "Well, I think the worst part is over…"

~_** Master, I advise against communicating with yourself. There is a 56% chance that you will drive yourself into insanity ~**_ The hero sweatdropped at his partner's words. While he actually liked Fi, he wouldn't really mind it if she showed some more emotion… Link began to walk the path he had in front of him, trying to find where he had to go. He killed a pair of Deku Babas on the way, but nothing particularly tough. He did have to endure Fi's definition of them. ~_** This violent plant is widespread in wooded areas. It will attempt to bite anything that approaches it. Though it is covered in a tough outer husk, the inside of its mouth is soft. I have confirmed the existence of two varieties: those that open their mouths vertically and those that open them horizontally. ~**_ After some more hacking and slashing, they came across a stone door, adorned with strange symbols. One of them, the biggest one, was of an eye with a tear drop.

"Strange taste for décor, eh, Fi?"__Link could've sworn he heard her stifle a giggle, but decided to ignore it. Before he could go and analyze the door, he felt a something dreadful slam against his back. He turned around and headed over to look at the edge of the cliff. The cliff had a strange, natural spiral shape, almost like if something was supposed to fit there. That wasn't what caught his attention though. He saw a pillar on the base of the cliff, glowing ominously. Then, out of nowhere, he saw the same beast he had seen the day Zelda got taken away. Its roar released a horrible feeling that chilled him to the bone, but he didn't yield. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the beast vanished. "F-fi… did you feel that just now?"

~_** Affirmative. I sense a great evil power sealed inside that pillar, but the seal is weakening. I recommend using my power to renew the seal's power ~**_ Link nodded, and began to run down the cliff. Eventually, he got tired of running and just jumped down the cliff, using the cloth to slow himself down. Once he reached the bottom, the feeling of dread was more powerful than he had ever thought possible. But even so, he pressed on. He heard a voice in his head telling him to use the Skyward Strike on the pillar. He diligently obeyed the voice, knowing that the pure energies of the strike would be able to banish any evil. He raised his sword, and felt the power slowly flowing from the skies into his blade.

"SKYWARD STRIKE!" He fired the disc of pure energy into the pillar. In an instant, the horrible feeling it emanated vanished. He also felt the seal on the door vanishing. Then, many wind currents began to flow out of the holes around the cliff. Using those, Link climbed back up to the top of the cliff, and walked over to the door. He was stopped by Fi before he could open the door though.

~_**Master, I feel three presences approaching quickly. I calculate a 98% chance they'll crash painfully into you right now ~**_ Before he could ask what she meant, the hero felt something heavy crash against his back, followed by two other impacts. The last was lighter, though. Link turned around to see what was going on… and found his face stuck between a woman's assets. In an instant, he moved faster than ever before out of the pile and flattened himself against a wall, his face completely red. ~_** I calculate a 100% chance that you are completely embarrassed, Master ~**_ Link heard Fi say as he repeated something in his mind like a mantra.

'_I like Zelda… I like Zelda… I like Zelda…' _That was enough to calm him down. He got lost in a happy memory of the two of them flying around Skyloft, just having fun. He was interrupted when an orange-haired kid grabbed him by the shirt and began to talk in a language he didn't understand.

"Ōi! Omae wa dareda yo~tsu! Soshite doko ni iru!?" Link stared at the kid with a confused look in his eyes. His confusion heightened when another one, a kid with white hair, began to talk the same language.

"Kurosaki wa, ochitsuite kudasai. Kare wa rikaidekinai."

"Nandesuka? Shikashi... Dono yō ni wareware wa, shikashi watashitachi no genzai no basho o mitsukeru! Dono yō ni wareware wa ikinokotte ikudarou! Wareware wa koko de gashi suru tsumorida!" Yelled the woman that had crashed into Link.

"Urusai Matsumoto! Watashi wa anata ga hon'yaku kido o manabu yō ni tanoma riyūdesu!" While the captain and lieutenant kept arguing, Ichigo made an attempt to communicate with the hero. After getting his attention, Ichigo began to point at himself.

"Ichigo" Link stared at him in confusion, but then understood what he meant. He did the same gesture as he did.

"Link!" They were going to continue doing this, communicating by signs, but Matsumoto interrupted them.

"**Gurēto hanshu ā! Sen no shita o hanasu kare wa, anata no mondai o kakaeta bokutachi o tasukeru! Sekai no nodo o ou kare wa, anata no chikara o hakki shi, watashitachi no tamashī o jōka suru! ****Bakudo# 101 :Yunibāsarusupīchi!" **A bright light erupted from her hands and struck all those around her. Link, after recovering from the light, looked at the orange haired man yell at the woman, understanding it all.

"Damn it! What the hell was that!?"

"That? Oh, that was a special Kido developed by the stealth corps! It allows you to understand and speak any language!" Matsumoto told the substitute with her usual cheery voice.

"But, considering it was Matsumoto who cast it, who knows how long it'll last…" Hitsugaya said. This elicited a whine from the Lieutenant.

"Oh, come on, captain! I worked hard on learning this one! It won't fade off that quickly!" Link watched the two keep on arguing, a sweatdrop forming in the back of his head.

'_Fi, what are the chances those two are slightly insane?'_

_**I calculate a 85% chance, Master. Had I the ability to express emotion, there's a 98% chance that I'd show 'Confusion'. ~ **_Link moved up his hand to scratch his head. When he did, his sword moved along and allowed Fi to see the sword in Ichigo's back. The sight made a long lost memory arrive.

"OI! You two! Stop arguing and let's try to find out WHERE WE ARE! AHHH!" While he was admonishing the Captain and Lieutenant, Ichigo was startled when the blue, logic being popped out of her sword.

~_** Master. This being's sword has caused an event to resurface in my memory. It is a prophecy given to me by Mistress Hylla. ~ **_The young Hero's eyes widened when Fi informed him of this new development. He nodded at her, asking her to begin. She began dancing around the area, reciting the prophecy as she went as if it was a song. ~** A hero from the skies and a hero of the souls shall unite. The holy blade and the cutting chain's power evil will smite. The power from the heavens and the power of the Hollowed One will defeat the evil lord. The hero of the skies shall be cursed along the way, and the Hero of Souls his salvation shall be. Beware of the slave of the Evil Lord's blade, for her memory is lost and her blade's as well. Only the love of the Hero of Souls may restore her might, or they will both perish by each other's hand… I calculate an 87% chance that this being with oddly colored hair is the Hero of Souls. ~** Ichigo watched the blue being carefully, thinking WHY she thought he was the hero. The Cutting Chain part fit him well, but he was no hero… But decided to become one when he finally noticed something.

"Hey, where's Rukia?"

**There we go! I'm finally finished with this. Took me a while to write, but it is done. I will not be able to write anything more for the remainder of this week, since I have my Death Final exams coming up. BladeOfThePoet, logging out.**

**TRANSLATIONS:**

**Ōi! Omae wa dareda yo~tsu! ****Soshite doko ni iru**: HEY! Who the hell are you! And where are we!?

**Kurosaki wa, ochitsuite kudasai. Kare wa rikaidekinai**: Kurosaki, calm down, he cannot understand you.

**Nandesuka? Shikashi... Dono yō ni wareware wa, shikashi watashitachi no genzai no basho o mitsukeru! Dono yō ni wareware wa ikinokotte ikudarou!**: WHAT!? But… but how are we going to find out our current location!? How will we survive!?

**Urusai Matsumoto! Watashi wa anata ga hon'yaku kido o manabu yō ni tanoma riyūdesu**: QUIET MATSUMOTO! This is why i told you to learn that Translation Kido!

**Gurēto hanshu ā! Sen no shita o hanasu kare wa, anata no mondai o kakaeta bokutachi o tasukeru! Sekai no nodo o ou kare wa, anata no chikara o hakki shi, watashitachi no tamashī o jōka suru! ****Bakudo# 101 :Yunibāsarusupīchi!:** Oh Great lord! He who speaks a thousand tongues, aid your troubled servants! He who bears the throat of the world, unleash your power and cleanse our souls! Bakudo #101: Universal speech!


	2. Into the Woods!

**Hehehey! I'm back! Hope you guys didn't wait too long for this one. Thanks a lot to the three people that reviewed. Your reviews were balms to my soul. I really hope you guys wills tick around for the future chapters. Speaking of which, it's about time I started! Rangiku! Disclaimer please!**

**Rangiku: Do I have to?**

**YES!**

**Rangiku: Ok… BladeOfThePoet does not own Bleach, one of the greatest Animes ever, nor does he own Legend of Zelda, one of the two greatest games in existence (along with Metroid)**

**Sealed Grounds**

After some awkward introductions (awkward because of Link's previous encounter with Rangiku), the Orange haired Shinigami popped the question.

"Ok, so where the hell are we? Doesn't look like Karakura, Seiretei, and it is most definitely NOT Hueco Mundo from what I've seen." Link simply stared at the Shinigami.

"Sorry, but what is a Karakura? Or a Seiretei? Or even a Hueco Mundo, for that matter?" The Substitute was about to answer the young Hero, when his Captain companion intruded.

"KUROSAKI! Don't you dare divulge that information to one of the living!" Ichigo simply gave him a 'Shut up' hand gesture and explained each of those terms, plus explaining what Shinigami are and what they do, much to Toushiro's chagrin. "Why do I even bother… I don't think even Hyorinmaru could convince you to do anything…"

'_**I could always try' **_Hitsugaya heard his Zanpakuto say, before a sphere of light materialized to his side. To say he was shocked was an understatement, when his lifelong companion appeared in his Human form. "**It seems like we Zanpakuto can materialize with no problem in this world." **Following his lead, Haineko and Zangetsu decided to appear.

"**Truly interesting…" **Zangetsu muttered as he brushed his fingers across a few leaves that were dancing in the wind. "**This world has enough Spiritual Energy in the air to allow us free roam…"**

"**Oh, so that means I get to spend some time with Hyorinmaru, right Darling?" **Haineko said flirtatiously to the Ice Ring zanpakuto. In response, the normally ice cold dragon man blushed and made a sound that was like a mixture of a 'Hn' and a growl.

"Ok, ok, Zanpakutos and other things apart, could you _please _tell us where we are?" Ichigo asked once more, a hint of exasperation in his voice. Link chuckled lightly.

"Well, I'd love to but… all I know for sure of this place is that it's beneath my homeplace, and I call it the Surface. Fi?" Link turned to his blue friend. The spirit's face contorted in concentration.

"**Master, I'm afraid I have lost the memory of the Surface's true name. It must've been lost after all those years." **Had Link not known better, he could've sworn he saw a look of sadness in her face.

"It's ok, Fi." Link told her comfortingly. "Anyone is bound to forget a thing or two after so many years." Ichigo then chimed in.

"Yeah, look at Rangiku here. She always forgets to stop drinking Sake before getting drunk." Rangiku whined, and was about to protest, when every Soul Eater and Zanpakuto, even her own, gave her a look that stopped her. "See? Even your own Zanpakuto agrees."

"_**Even I do!" **_The annoying voice of Hichigo echoed through Ichigo's mind. "_**Hey, you think I too can materialize?"**_

"_Don't even try! The last thing I want is this world to suffer you!" _Ichigo then thought of a few depressing memories to make it rain on the Hollow, before replacing them with several happy memories (Most of which included a certain Midget Shinigami). "Now, what should we do?"

"**I recommend we enter this temple. I calculate a 95% chance that you will find the answers you need inside." **Fi answered.

"Well, you heard her. Let's get in!" The hero said, a little overenthusiastically, and walked over to the stone doors, happy to find the seal on it gone. The spirits all went back to their respective swords, and their owners then followed the hero. The inside of the Temple showed it was pretty old… and in a state of absolute ruin. The sun was pouring in from a couple of windows, one which was broken and had plants growing in through it.

"Well, this place is all messed up." Ichigo deadpanned.

"Be more respectful, Kurosaki. I have a feeling this place is important." Hitsugaya reprimanded Ichigo, despite knowing how apathetic the Substitute could be sometimes to that sort of thing. The memory of the Soukyoku being destroyed was still freshly imprinted in his mind.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say… maybe that lady over there can help us." Ichigo said, pointing forward.

"*Sigh* Kurosaki, we're in an abandoned temple in a place that, according to Link, no one has ever been to in over a thousand years. Why would there be anyo… what the…" The young captain stopped himself when he saw a frail old woman sitting in front of a ruined door in the temple. She had really long hair that was braided all the way, and it ended in a small wheel of hair. "I can not believe this…"

"Um, hello? Miss? Could you help us?" No answer at first to after Link spoke. "A-are you still… still breathing?" Link asked tentatively, before turning to the Shinigami. After a few seconds, Ichigo spoke.

"Don't worry, she's still alive… though I think she's asleep…" Ichigo was about to poke the woman with Zangetsu, when the spirit appeared and stopped him.

"**Ichigo, don't you dare. I'll do it." **The Zanpakuto approached and gently rocked the woman awake.

"Hmm? Oh, forgive me, my age seems to be catching up with me." The old woman said with a tired voice. She regarded the group with interest, though her gaze lingered longer on Link and Ichigo. "Ahhh… the Heroes of the Skies and Souls have reunited… along with the wielders of the Ash Cat and the Ice Ring." The lead members of the 10th division were shocked yet another time this day when the old woman mentioned them. "But it seems like the protector and his assistant aren't here…"

'_Protector? Who the hell in our world would match that description? I mean, I'm here…" _Ichigo thought to himself, feeling confused. For some reason that he couldn't quite understand his mind jumped to a certain Shinigami, but he decided to ignore it, since the mere notion of THAT Reaper as a protector. "Ok, listen lady, I don't know why I'm being called the Hero of souls, but I just want to know one thing: Where. Is. Rukia." His voice had a mixture of anger, worry, and overall anxiety.

"Yeah… and on that matter, where's Zelda?" Link asked too, his voice just as full of worry but with none of the anger.

"Ah, I see you're worried about them…" Ichigo resigned to glare weakly at her, knowing she was telling the truth. "The girl you're looking for, Hero of the Skies, went over to the Temple in the woods, through that door." She pointed a bony hand to one of the doors in the temple. "But I'm afraid I do not know where this 'Rukia' is, young man." Ichigo's eyes flashed into an ominous black and gold for a second, his growing despair allowing the Hollow within him to start gaining control, but he was able to suppress it. "Ah, yes, I see that you carry a heavy burden with you… aside from your odd hair coloration." A tick mark appeared on the Carrot head's forehead as his rage began to reach the 'beat-someone-up' level, and this Link fella was looking like an awfully good target. He may be angry, but he wouldn't punch an old person… unless it was his father. Then he had no remorse about doing so.

"Ok, so we have no clue where the goddamn Midget is, but we do have an idea where Link's girlfriend is…" Ichigo deadpanned. The young hero began to nod excitedly, until he finally processed what the other guy said.

"she… he… wa… wha… what the… WHAAAA!?" The hero lost his balance all of a sudden and stumbled backwards, accidentally landing on Rangiku, further increasing his embarrassment. "S-s-she is NOT my girlfriend! I mean, it's not that I don't find her attractive, she is very attractive but… ACK! That did not come out the way I wanted" Even the old woman was shooting sly looks at the green clad hero. "Why do I have the feeling this will come back to haunt me…" Ichigo simply nodded, causing the poor hero to hang his head in despair.

"Alright now." The old woman spoke, trying to save the young man from further embarrassment. "Young heroes, you must both go to the temple in the woods. You will find the answers you seek there. That includes you, Hero of souls." Ichigo didn't protest this time, too worried about finding Rukia to consider doing so.

"Alright then." Toushiro said. "We should get going now…"

"Actually…" The old woman interrupted the captain. "You two cannot go with them. You must stay here. Hopefully, you will be able to stop the prisoner from escaping…" The last sentence was said in such a low voice, not even the Captain managed to hear it. Toushiro and Rangiku didn't protest, oddly. For some reason, they felt like if they disobeyed, terrible things would happen to them. "The heroes may only receive aid from the Cutting Moon and the creation of the Goddess, along with their… curses." Ichigo tensed when she mentioned the curse, hearing his inner hollow cackle like the madman… spirit… something he is.

"**AHAHAHAHAHA! LOOK, KING! I was aknowledge by the old hag!"**

"I do not appreciate being called a 'hag', you know." The woman said suddenly. Ichigo then proceeded to imitate the young Hero of the Skies: He lost his balance.

"Whoa! How the hell did you hear THAT!" He all but shrieked. "You heard my Inner Hollow's voice!" Now, even the members of the 10th division were shocked. Actually, the only ones not shocked were the old woman, having heard the hollow, and Link, who had no idea how Ichigo had one of those evil spirits he told him about within him. Noticing the bewildered look, Ichigo spoke to the hero. "Tell ya later, man. For now, let's get going. Toushiro, Matsumoto, I trust you'll be fine here?"

"We will, Kurosaki, just get going and find Kuchiki as fast as possible." The Substitute turned to the door, followed by the rookie Knight. "And Kurosaki?" They stopped right in front of the door when the captain called.

"Yeah?"

"IT'S HITSUGAYA-TAICHO!"

**Faron Woods, after the meeting the Goron**

After speaking with the rockman explorer, Ichigo and Link kept walking into the forest, Fi and Zangetsu getting temporarily degraded to cutting down skinny trees along the way, until the Dowsing capability of the Goddess sword got a strong response for Zelda's aura… coming from some sort of bird-like creature being harassed by Bokoblins. They were quickly taken care of with a simple slash from Zangetsu and a Skyward strike-Ending blow combo.

"Kwee?" The creature said as it rose from its rather poor camouflage. "They're gone?" and then it turned to see Ichigo and Link. "KUKWEEEEE! Now there's a green one and a black one! I didn't know they came in those colors!" The being then began to run away with its stubby little legs, somehow climbing to the top of a hill in seconds.

"How the fuck did that thing get up there so fast?" Ichigo asked.

"I have no idea… Fi?" The blue spirit popped out of her spot in the Goddess Sword to provide the information she had.

"**Master. I received a particularly strong dowsing signal from that being. Obviously, we can't say it was Zelda." **The spirit said.

"No shit…" Ichigo muttered, despite not knowing how the girl was supposed to look like. Link glared at Ichigo for his rude comment, before motioning at Fi to continue.

"**Analysis results in a 100% match with a creature known as Kikwi, a gentle and intelligent woodland creature. Judging by the response I received, it is safe to assume that the creature had direct contact with Zelda. I recommend following the creature." **

"Well then, let's get moving." Ichigo shunpo-ed in the direction the creature ran to. Link stared like an idiot at the spot Ichigo once stood.

'_I have got to learn how to do that!' _He said in his mind. His thoughts were stopped when an explosion went off in the deeper part of the forest. Not a second later, Ichigo had returned, carrying not just one, but 4 of the creatures.

"Found them. Also, I think I wrecked a part of the lake… and I have the feeling I'll be in deep shit later on…"

**DONE! Thanks a lot for reading, I hope to see you guys again next time.**

**Next Update: Guardians of Altomare.**


	3. Fear

**Hello my good readers! I am back yet again! Sorry about taking so long in updating, but I had a lot of things in my hands at the moment. ANYWAY! Last time, we left our heroes in the entrance to the forest, with Ichigo holding the little creatures known as Kikwis and having destroyed half the lake in the woods… yeah, someone's gonna be PISSED. Now, without further ado, **

The two heroes walked through the woods, the little creatures known a Kikwis walking beside them. It had taken a while, but they had managed to calm them down and convince them they were not monsters. Zangetsu and Fi popping out of nowhere didn't help in that endeavor, but eventually everything calmed down. The kikwis explained that they had seen a 'yellow haired creature' that looked like Link, (something that prompted Ichigo into making jokes about that) taking shelter with the leader of the Kikwis.

"But you'll have trouble finding him. Our leader has the greatest camouflage skills in all the forest…"

**5 minutes later**

"You have got to be kidding me…" Ichigo muttered as both he and Link watched a massive, breathing figure with a few short leaves popping out of its tail. "Man, if that's camouflage, then my hair is purple with white streaks…"

"No kidding… even I have better camouflage than that…" Link muttered. The Kikwis, however, didn't even seem to notice the giant lump.

"Kukweee… Where could the boss be?" One of them muttered worriedly. In response, Ichigo drew Zangetsu, and began to poke the giant lump.

"_Ichigo, you shouldn't do that…" _Zangetsu muttered "… _It could be hostile"_

'_Please, Old man, look at these guys. I don't think they can fight for their lives.' _Ichigo thought back as the giant lump woke up.

"Kokweee… I must commend you for seeing past my camouflage, stranger…" Both Link and Ichigo sweatdropped at the words of the giant thing, but wisely decided to stay silent. "Oh! And you found my missing people. I am so glad they are alright…"

"Yeah, yeah, cut the crap…" Ichigo said as he pointed Zangetsu at the boss's face. "Have you seen a black haired small human, or a blond human about his size?" The giant Kikwi laughed a hearty laugh, odd, considering he had one of the biggest currently existing Zanpakuto pointed at his face.

"Well, aren't you worried about these humans… Well, considering you helped my people, I will help you. I have not seen a black haired human, but I did see the yellow haired one. She was headed for the temple, deep in the woods. I tried to tell her not to, but the clever thing vaulted off my belly and left." The words made happiness burst in Link's heart. Zelda was alive and well! Ichigo, on the other hand…

"DAMN IT, MIDGET, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!?"

**30 minutes later**

After finally getting Ichigo to calm down, and receiving a slingshot from the Kikwi leader, the two heroes headed towards the temple, of which they were now standing in front of.

"Ok, let's get this over with…" Ichigo said as he walked down the stair, Link in tow. Neither of them noticed the two figures standing in the platform in front of the temple, nor when they vanished.

**Inside the temple**

The temple was a dark, dusty place with a decent amount of mold. It also reeked of humidity and something that mysteriously smelled like dead Bokoblin.

"Well, isn't this a happy place…" Ichigo deadpanned. "Oi, Link, do you think you could charge up one of those Sky strikes to light this place u-AHHH!" Ichigo was unable to finish his sentence when he found himself tangled in a giant cobweb. "AH GETITOFF GETITOFF!"

"Quit moving and I will!" Link yelled back as he tried to slice off the strings with the Goddess Sword, but couldn't do it out of risk that he would hit Ichigo instead. When they finally got him out, Link couldn't help himself… "So… someone's afraid of spiders." He said mockingly, while making spider figures with his hands. In return, Link pushed him into another cobweb, getting him entangled in the sticky strings. "AH! GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!"

"Who's scared now?" Ichigo mocked the young in-training knight, only to receive a slap in his head, courtesy of Zangetsu. '_You were watching NCIS again, weren't you?' _Ichigo angrily projected his thoughts to Zangetsu.

'_**Only as much as you have, Ichigo**__.' _The spirit retorted as he cut down the strings holding Link. "_**Now, if you two are quite done quarreling, how about we get moving. There's a strong spiritual pressure in this area, and it definitely matches the residue in that cloth Link has**__.'_' When Zangetsu said this, Fi popped out of her home in the sword and regarded Zangetsu closely.

"_**Are you capable of sensing different energies while in this area?**__" _She asked the spirit of the Cutting Moon, who nodded in return. Turning to her Master, Fi said: "_**Master, I suggest you utilize this elderly spirit's ability to track down Zelda, since my own power is unable to isolate her aura signature right now.**__" _ Link nodded to his partner, but nearly had a heart attack when Ichigo started laughing out of nowhere.

"HAHAHAHAHA! S-she called you old, old man!" Ichigo managed to say between fits of laughter. Zangetsu glared at Ichigo, but slowly, a disturbing grin began to form on the normally stoic spirit's face.

"**Must I remind you I'm a part of your Soul, Ichigo?" **Hearing this definitely caused Ichigo to stop laughing. "**Then, by definition, she called **_**you **_**old as well… And you have been calling yourself old, too."**

"… Wise-ass… You've spent way too much time with Hichigo as of late" Ichigo muttered as he delved deeper into the ruins, Link following. "You certainly don't behave like this when Sode no Shirayuki is around… something you want to tell me?" The Spirit remained silent as he dissolved back into his bladed embodiment.

Exploration of the temple was swift, thanks to Ichigo busting apart every lock he found on the way, and a decided to let Link handle the three headed skeletal snake they found. On a more interesting note, they found something Fi had called 'The Beetle', a mechanical insect attached to a metal arm guard that could be flown by remote control. Now, after some time under the ruins, the two heroes were standing in front of a giant gate. "Should I bust it, or do we look for the key?" Ichigo asked.

"Let's look for the key. I have a feeling there's something powerful behind that door and we should save our strength. I think I saw a large chest back there…" Link said as he climbed up a vine he dropped with the slingshot. Ichigo watched as the Hero of the Skies swung like a monkey from vine to vine, while silently wondering why he didn't just climb up the broken wall.

"10 bucks says he gets smashed against a wall…" Ichigo told his inner counterparts.

"**You're on, King!" **Not a second later, Link was stamped against the wall above the chest, having swung a little too hard before jumping. "**Oh, come on…"**

**5 minutes later**

Ichigo and a red-nosed Link stood in front of the gate holding an odd piece. While they were sure it was the key, they didn't know how to fit it in.

"Maybe if you rotate it like this?" Ichigo suggested turning the piece around, but it still didn't work.

"Maybe like this?" Link muttered and repositioned the item. When it _still _didn't work, they decided to wildly spin it and rotate it to put it in, until it finally worked. "Well, that worked…"

"Yeah… don't you think that we got through this place a little too fast?" Ichigo asked him.

"Now that you mention it, it's kinda like someone is writing this and wants to get to a fight as soon as possible and write it the best he can…" Link answered. The two Heroes stared at each other for a second, their eyes wide, and…

"Must be our imaginations" They both concluded as they walked in.

The chamber they just entered wasn't particularly large or shiny, more like some sort of medium-sized shrine that had been abandoned for a long time. Both heroes felt a chill down their spines, the feeling that something big was about to happen present…

"Ah! And so they arrive!" The sudden voice caused both of them to unsheathe their weapons and face the direction it had come from. There, they saw a man with grey skin and gray skin, wearing a red cloak over a white outfit. "The Heroes of the Skies and Souls. So nice of you to have come…" the man then vanished in a cloud of diamond-shaped lights, and startled the two heroes again when he reappeared behind them, his long tongue extended. "I was hoping to get some fun before attacking that blonde girl…"

"Ok, that's just WRONG!" Ichigo yelled, swinging Zangetsu at the odd man. But just as the sword was about to decapitate its target, a streak of white intercepted its path

*CLANG*

A pure white katana was keeping the giant cleaver away from its victim, the air around it cold as a winter night.

"I will not let you hurt Ghirahim-sama!" The wielder of the blade yelled, retracting her sword and preparing for an attack. The sword came down again, what little light entered the chamber reflecting off the polished surface.

"T-that voice!" Ichigo said as he blocked the katana with his own blade, the sound of metal against metal echoing through the room. In a single swift move, he moved the katana away and removed the hood his attacker was wearing. He was greeted by the sight of a pair of big, blue eyes glaring angrily at him "R-RUKIA!" Ichigo yelled in happiness, having finally found the one his was looking for… and almost got stabbed through the gut.

"I don't know how you know my name, nor do I know who you are, but you tried to hurt Ghirahim-sama! You will pay for it!" Rukia said, driving her sword into the ground three times. The sword pierced the stone without making a single sound, and white light poured out of the spots that had been stabbed. "Tsuge no Mai: Hakuren!" A deluge of snow poured out of the beams of light, and Ichigo knew very well that if those hit him he'd be in trouble. With precise and swift movements, the Substitute dodged every single piece of snow and ice that headed his way, hearing them shatter behind him. Slowly, he realized that his normal Shikai power would not be enough for this fight.

"**Come on, King! Use me! Usemeusemeuseme!" **The incarnation of Ichigo's instincts loudly whined.

"Shut the hell up, asshole! BANKAI!" A massive wave of black and red Reiatsu surrounded Ichigo, its power causing Ghirahim himself to stop and stare in awe. A mistake that cost him dearly, since Link managed to deliver a powerful slash to his chest. Despite this new injury, the Demon Lord smirked and summoned a blade of pure shadow, before reengaging the young, green clad hero. The sound of two pairs of swords clashing against one another echoed through the chamber, sometimes closely followed by the sound of iron piercing through flesh. Ichigo, because of his feeling, was unable to go all out on Rukia. Even if he wanted to, he could feel Zangetsu's reluctance to unleash his true power against the white blade wielder. Link, even though he was going all out, was having a hard time against Ghirahim, who seemed to be enjoying their little fight. Only when Link managed to strike another powerful slash did the Demon Lord reel back.

"Well, you fight very well, for a human… you could cause me trouble in the future… I think I'll give you a small 'Victory gift'." The Demon lord said as he teleported behind Link. He placed his left hand on the young hero's head and muttered something in a clearly demonic language. Several evil runes appeared around the young hero, their foul energy forcing its way into his very soul. "I hope you enjoy it! RUKIA! We shall be leaving now." Rukia then parried an attack from the orange headed warrior and stood next to her master. Both of them vanished with a loud ping and a cloud of diamond shaped light.

"CH-CHOTTO MATTE!" Ichigo yelled, his anger and frustration temporarily overriding the Transaltion Kido. "Damn it all! Link! Get up! We need to… Link?" The Shinigami asked. "Oi, Link, you alright?" No answer. He eventually heard groans and grunts of pain, one set male, on female. He couldn't see well because of the mysterious fog that had formed in the room, and slowly approached the location of the sounds of pain. "Link, what's going on!?"

"**HELLBOUND SLASH!" **A spinning, red ring of fire was launched in Ichigo's direction, who only managed to dodge it out of pure speed. That mattered little, though, when his eyes saw the attacker. In front of him, wielding a pure black blade and an armor that seemed to made out of bones, was Link, his eyes red as freshly spilled blood. Floating at his side, was Fi, her normal blue hue turned into a devilish red, a pair of clawed, wretched arms extending under her cloak, and a disturbing, sadistic grin plastered on her face. For the first time since the Bount invaded Soul Society, Ichigo felt one thing…

… Fear…

**And that's a wrap. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now, to answer some reviewer questions!**

**Lord Lycaon: Oh yeah, she will…**

**Belladonna209: Translated, Zangetsu is Cutting Moon. As for the curse business… ^ There you have it.**

**Aaaand… that's pretty much it. Oh well, BladeOfThePoet, Logging out!**


	4. The Hero's Curse and meeting the Goddess

**Hello again my good readers! Sorry for the delay on this chapter. Got a little carried away with my other fics (My bad). Now, last time, we saw Link falling under a ****curse**** thrown on him by Ghirahim, giving Ichigo little time to think about his amnesiac partner. Also, I will be attempting a new fighting scene method, so I apologize in advance if it sorta sucks.**

**Right where we left off last time**

Ichigo watched wide-eyed as Link's bone armor finished forming. Instead of piercing blue, the young Hero's eyes were now red. The Goddess Sword had gone from having a blue hilt and a silvery blade to an evil looking, ebony blade sitting on a blood-red hilt. Not only had the hero himself changed, but Fi had been altered too. The stoic, blue, know-it-all spirit was now as red as her Master's eyes, her usually non-existent arms now deformed, gnarled claws. Despite all this, Ichigo noticed one thing in particular…

… It was just like when his Hollow took over…

"Crap, this is bad!" The carrot-topped teen yelled as he unsheathed Zangetsu once more. The elderly spirit then materialized at his side, holding his own version of the sword.

~ **Indeed, Ichigo. But how did that Ghirahim cause this? ~ **Before Ichigo could answer, he felt a strange pull on his zanpakuto. He looked down and saw… the head of his Hollow, poking out of the flat side of the blade.

"**Hey look! I CAN come out!" **He exclaimed gleefully before popping out his arms and trying to push himself out.

"HEY! GET BACK IN THERE YOU INSUFFERABLE ASSHOLE" Ichigo yelled before smashing the sword (and Hichigo) into a wall, effectively pushing the evil spirit in with a massive headache for the poor hollow. "Now… how to we get him back?" Ichigo muttered.

~ **Perhaps it is similar to your Hollow mask. All we have to do is find a weak spot or a core… Like that glowing red piece in the chest ~ **Zangetsu pointed at the chest piece of the bone armor, which was glowing red with a small orb in its center. Ichigo also felt a strong reiatsu flowing from that area. ~ **I shall help you in this fight, Ichigo. I'm getting the feeling this won't be a battle you can win two-on-one. If we can shatter it, I am sure your friend will return. ~ **Ichigo nodded to the spirit, before shunpo-ing to the cursed Hero. He appeared right in front of him, and was just about to plunge the black soul steel into the armor… and was met by the sound of cutting air as Link vanished before he could hit, making a distinct buzzing sound.

'_That was… Sonido!' _Ichigo thought startled. His training with Yoruichi kicked in just in time to turn around and block an incoming slash, a power clashing sound echoing through the room. Ichigo was forced to emit a burst of Reiatsu to push Link away, before retaliating with a downward strike. Link rose his armored arm, blocking the incoming cleaver without as much as a scratch. The only sound that came was a screeching sound, distinct to when metal meets bone. Ichigo gritted his teeth as he pushed harder, trying to break through the armor. His efforts were rewarded when he heard a resounding _crack, _and a distinctive zigzagged pattern appeared on the arm guard. The accursed hero reeled back, screaming loudly. He pointed his sword to the ground, the same way Byakuya did when he was going to release his Bankai, only that Link had a sadistic grin plastered on his face. A black light climbed from the tip of the blade up to the hilt, the sound of damned souls echoing with every inch the light moved. When it was full, D-Link (Dark Link) swung his sword upwards.

"**HELLBOUND SLASH!" **A powerful disk of black fire launched from the sword, setting everything in its path on fire. Ichigo instinctively dodged the attack, before retaliating. His reiatsu flared around him as he raised his sword above his head. He knew that if he was to win, he'd have to stop holding back so much power. The Reiatsu gathered around the blade as he swung it down…

"**GETSUGA TENSHOU!" **The crescent-shaped blast of reishi flew towards its intended target, who raised his demonized sword to block it. The attempt was failed, however, as the blast easily overpowered the sword that was not yet fully awakened. The hero fell unconscious as the hero of souls rushed in and hit the core of the armor, shattering it. Just then, Zangetsu walked towards him, holding the unconscious blue spirit over his shoulder. "Well, that went well…"

~ **Indeed. They're not dead, so that counts as a victory. ~ **Ichigo was unable to refute the spirit's logic. ~ **But that armor is definitely sturdy. It didn't shatter even after taking a Getsuga Tenshou head on. Granted, you didn't fire it at full strength, but the strength you used was enough to knock out Mashiro's mask… ~ **Ichigo's scowl deepened. He did kinda miss the Vizards, but he was thinking about that armor. Would they be able to pound it into the core of Link's soul like they had with Hichigo?

"Alright, let's wake him up and find his girlfriend." Sensing the incoming question, Ichigo continued. "I'll worry about that damned midget later, ok?" Zangetsu nodded, hoping Ichigo wouldn't feel his own worry… "And yeah, I _can _feel you're worried about Sode no Shirayuki."

For the first time in known history, Zangetsu blushed.

**A few minutes later.**

Ichigo had woken Link up (by throwing his unconscious form into the water in the main room) before continuing over to the next room of the temple, where they hoped to find Zelda. Ichigo was hoping the girl would know how to bring Rukia back, and Link was just hoping to find Zelda. However, he felt a nagging voice on the back of his head as they walked, and it didn't belong to Fi… it was like his own voice, only darker and evil.

~{ **hehehe… Run and run while you still can, **_**hero. **_**The minute I get the chance I'll take over you again!}~ **Link rubbed his temples as the voice rang out loudly. He had no idea where that voice had come from, nor what had happened a while ago. It was like a haze over his memory that prevented him from remembering what happened.

"Oi, Link! You alright?" The teen's head shot up to the origin of the voice, his current travelling companion, Ichigo, and nodded. "Good, 'cause I got news for you…" Ichigo had opened the door leading to the deepest part of the temple and started to look around. "Your girlfriend ain't here…" He grumbled out. Link barreled past him to confirm that, indeed, Zelda was not in the area. "Oi, old man! Can you feel her reiatsu here?" Ichigo said to his zanpakuto. The spirit popped out of the blade and began to look around, taking an occasional sniff.

~ **She was definitely here, but if I were to guess, I'd say the sounds of the fight frightened her off. Understandable, considering she'd just been kidnapped. I also sense the presence of another reiatsu, but it isn't hers. It also just left. I believe we're not alone in our search for miss Zelda… ~ **Ichigo scowled deeply at that, and got so immersed in his thoughts he ignored what fi had begun to say. He's thoughts were rather simple…

'_I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS SHIT IS HAPPENING AGAIN!' _Yup, _very _simple. '_Why the HELL DID SHE HAVE TO LOSE HER GODDAMNED MEMORY! AGAIN! THIS IS THE MOTHERF****ING HOMURA AND SHIZUKU EVENT _**(1)**_ ALL OVER AGAIN!' _Meanwhile, inside the young Shinigami's soul…

~ **He isn't gonna shut up, is he? ~ **Hichigo asked, just about ready to go out and smack the King hard in the head. ~ **I swear, the more he talks the cloudier it gets in here… ~**

**~ That is likely… ~ **Zangetsu muttered, standing on top of his pole. ~ **It is understandable. For such a thing to happen **_**twice **_**already must be rather frustrating. Remember what happened last time? ~**

**~ Of course I do… man, Rukia-chan got turned into that hot-as-HELL Hollow version of herself. ~ **The hollow was practically drooling at the memory. ~ **Man, I was rather disappointed when the King vanished the Hollow from her. ~ **Zangetsu watched the negative spirit in disgust.

~ **You are a sad, lonely being, and I pity you. ~** Was all he said before leaving the hollow alone. (_A/N I agree with Zangetsu on this one!). _Back outside…

"HEY, ICHIGO!" Link yelled for the third time, effectively getting the Shinigami's attention.

"Gomen, got lost in my thoughts. What happened?"

"Well, according to Fi, Zelda purified herself in this spring and is now headed towards another one, probably on another area of the Surface. I guess we should go and find her." Ichigo nodded.

"Did Fi say in what direction she was going?" The Hero shook his head, disappointed. "Ok, then we should go to that old lady. She might have some sort of an idea of where to go." Link nodded, his cheerfulness somewhat recovered, and started walking towards the exit. Before he could reach the door, though, Ichigo grabbed him by the back of the neck and used Shunpo to quickly go back to the temple, eliciting a sound that was heard all around the forest…

"AAAHHHHH!"

**3.5 minutes and 5 screams later**

Hitsugaya Toushiro was sitting in a small clearing in the temple, meditating, with Hyorinmaru doing the same at his side. Sadly, _trying _to meditate would be a more appropriate term, since Matsumoto and Haineko were bickering loudly about clothes and (unsurprisingly) sake. Both the Captain and his Zanpakuto were just about ready to freeze them solid when they heard an approaching yell, followed by Ichigo crashing in through the hall in the roof, carrying a pale Link. The Captain of the Tenth squad noticed something had changed within the young hero, but couldn't quite place his finger on it.

"Oi, Obaa-san." Ichigo started talking. "We just learned that this Zelda girl travelled to some other spring, something about a fire mountain or something like that. Link wouldn't stop screaming like a little girl so I had a hard time understanding him." The hero's response was to release a low groan of pain and dizziness, his eyes completely blank. The old woman thought about it for a second before answering.

"Yes, yes, now I remember. You must travel north, to the flaming reaches of the Eldin Province. The slab you found in the temple should provide you a safe passage there." The elderly woman said with her tired voice. Ichigo then grabbed Link by the neck of his shirt again and shook him awake.

"OI! Lazy-ass! Wake up!" He kept that up until Link had recovered some semblance on consciousness. "Meh, this is good enough. Listen, go back up to that floating island of yours and activate the slab, ok? I'll meet you in the province when you land." These words finished waking up the Hero of the Skies.

"Huh? You're not coming with me to Skyloft?" he asked, confused.

"Eventually I will. But, there's no warranty that Zelda travelled through air to the province. For all we know, she could be walking there. You go through the skies, and I'll go through land. One of us might find her along the way." Link nodded, knowing that Ichigo's logic was sound. He also knew Ichigo could move way faster than him, so it'd be for the best if he took the land. "Good, now get going." Link nodded enthusiastically before running out the door to where he had seen a bird statue. The group waited until he had left completely, and as soon as he did, they all turned towards the old lady. Zangetsu decided to come out for this. "Now, how about you tell us who you really are?" The old lady chuckled tiredly.

"Nothing can get past you Death Gods, eh?" She said with a smile. "All will be revealed in due time, but I belief that if you were to leave now, things would become clearer. The Captain here can accompany you if you wish. Just know this: My name is Impa." Ichigo scowled at the lack of information.

~ **Oh, come on, Old hag. Quit shitting us and give us a straight out answer damn it! ~ **the members of the Tenth Squad and their Zanpakuto spirits snapped around when a new voice entered the fray. They all watched wide-eyed as a black-and-white version of ichigo popped out of the carrot-top's blade, who once again smashed it against a wall.

"I said STAY IN THERE!" He roared at the spirit. Only now did he notice the other Shinigami in the room gawking at him.

"W-was that…?" Toushirou asked in disbelief. He was still staring at the ichigo lookalike, who, although he had been stunned, was not fully forced back inside by the blow.

"Yup. Everyone, meet Hichigo. The worst pain in the ass you've ever had the bad luck of meeting." Ichigo introduced his hollow as he prepared to bat him against the wall once more, this time succefully pushing him in. "Anyway, I'll be leaving now. Wanna come, Toushiro?" The captain muttered 'It's Hitsugaya-Taicho…' before answering.

"No. You know full well I don't deal well with hot temperatures. Besides, I've got a lot of thoughts to sort out." Ichigo nodded at the captain before turning towards the door. However, he was unable to resist hitting the captain with one final jab.

"As long as my sister Karin isn't in too many of those thoughts, it's ok." He the smiled satisfactorily when he heard the captain sputter and even fall flat on his back. Even Hyorinmaru was blushing. '_Hmm… I wonder if Karin has a Zanpakuto spirit already?' _He thought before Shunpo-ing northbound.

**10 minutes later**

Ichigo was traversing a heavily wooded area, but he could already smell the sulfur coming out of the active volcano. He knew he still had a long way to go, but at least he knew he was headed the right way. He stopped dead in his tracks, however, when he heard a high-pitched scream, most likely female. Forgetting all about his current task, he ran towards the direction of the scream. There he found a young blonde girl, dressed in a white tunic, being harassed by some Bokoblins. Ichigo couldn't stand the sight, especially since the girl was unarmed and completely defenseless. He rushed in and quickly executed the monsters with some expertly placed slashes with Zangetsu. After making sure they were all gone, he turned to the girl, who had tripped trying to get away from the monsters, and offered his hand.

"You know, it's dangerous to go alone." He said as she took his hand and stood up.

"I know, but I didn't expect to be attacked by Bokoblins…" She said nervously. Thinking she might have some valuable information on either Zelda or Rukia, Ichigo introduced himself.

"Name's Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki." He said, extending his hand for a handshake. Something about the girl made him feel at peace. She took his hand and shook it…

"My name's Zelda. Just Zelda."

**BAM! Nice way to end it, if I do say so myself. I'll try to update faster next time. I am so, so very sorry about that, I really am. This is BladeOfThePoet, logging out.**

**(1) from the movie _Bleach: Fade to Black_**


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